Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman II, a remarkable teenager from Chicago, walked in her graduation ceremony on May 6 after earning her doctoral degree at the age of 17.
In an interview with “Good Morning America,” Tillman shared that she was homeschooled in her early years and began college at just 10 years old. By 2018, she had earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities from New York’s Excelsior College. Two years later, she obtained a Master’s degree in Science and, at 15, was accepted into the Doctorate of Behavioral Health Management program at Arizona State University.
Tillman attributes her passion for education to her family’s influence, particularly her grandmother, who was involved in the Civil Rights movement and emphasized the importance of lifelong learning. “People in my life like my grandmother… harped on the importance of education and consistently learning something always,” Tillman said.
She also spoke about her intrinsic motivation to learn, saying, “I feel like that urge to learn something new just never didn’t exist for me.”
In December, Tillman successfully defended her dissertation, becoming the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health at Arizona State, according to associate professor Leslie Manson. Manson praised Tillman’s achievement, saying, “It’s a wonderful celebration, and we hope … that Dorothy Jean inspires more students. But this is still something so rare and unique.”
Tillman credits her mother as one of her biggest motivators. “Seeing my mother consistently work so hard to continuously uphold our family’s legacy … always seeing [her] like [a] ‘wonder woman’ definitely made me want to grow up [into] an accomplished person,” she said.
In addition to her academic achievements, Tillman is a staunch advocate for education. She is the founder and CEO of a leadership institute that integrates the arts with STEM education.
“I feel like adding art and putting a focus on it throughout science, technology, engineering and math makes the kids excited to learn all those things,” she explained. “And it opens them up to all of the possibilities and all the knowledge provided in that area of just STEM.”
